Israeli start-up Tvinci wins contract with Singapore's MediaCorp

Jan 29, 2013 (Globes - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Start-up Tvinci Ltd. has signed a multimillion deal with to integrate its technology in the broadcasts of Singapore's MediaCorp.

MediaCorp, Singapore's largest and oldest media company, owning leading television and radio channels, newspapers, magazines, and cinemas. Tvinci will provide its pay-OTT (over the top) platform to MediaCorp's new cross device lifestyle service, Toggle, which aims to become "Asia's Netflix", offering live broadcasts alongside VOD.

The service will initially offer 11 live channels and thousands of hours of VOD content, including both local and Hollywood content. The service will go on air during February on PC, iPhone, iPad, Android devices, and connected TV.

Tvinci's platform can manage content broadcasts, establish business models, campaigns and the collection of money, manage protected content (as required by Hollywood studios), manage users and different devices, and manage the user experience and social television.

Tvinci linked up with MediaCorp following a strategic visit by MediaCorp executives in Israel in 2011 arranged by the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute. During the visit, the executives met Israeli new media companies which offered innovative technology solutions.

Tvinci offers cable and satellite broadcasters and television stations a white label (unbranded) platform for airing content across devices, with an emphasis on social television. CEO Ofer Shayo told "Gobes", "The idea is that you turn on your television and you can search for VOD content based on what your friends saw last month, or you can choose to see what your friends are watching now."
Tvinci also enables users to watch live or VOD content on a tablet, and then send it to a television at home for viewing by the whole family, and vice-versa.

Tvinci was founded in 2007 by Shayo and VP business development Ido Wiesenberg. The company has raised $4.5 million to date. Last year, it tripled its revenue, with contracts growing from the hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars. Customers include Finland's largest telecommunications company Elisa, and Dutch company Chellomeida. The company's workforce has grown from 20 to 60 people, and it is still hiring, seeking programmers, project managers, support staff, software testers, and other skills.